Just watched Tom Bukovac's latest video on youtube and he said that during a break from his current job where he is playing guitar on Dave Stewart's new album that Dave pulled up some tracks on his laptop, and it turned out to be the original tracks that were Sweet Dreams. That song was done on 7 tracks. 7 tracks. 2 synths, 2 vocals, a drum machine, and some glass milk bottles.

That song is nearly 40 years old. Can you imagine the autotune queens out there now doing something with only 7 tracks?

Loved Annie's voice. Amazing it was on so few tracks.

I loved The Eurythmics too. I never had any of their albums but I would always turn up the volume when they came on the radio.

Sweet Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMFqkcPYcg


Here Comes The Rain Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzFnYcIqj6I


Would I Lie to You?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhpu2N4rQZM

While pulling the links for The Eurythmics two more old favorites came up.


Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (HD version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJWJE0x7T4Q


Genesis - I Can't Dance (Official Music Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGI2d31M7Ns

Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible (Official Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGw_cOgwa8


Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE

I grew up with The Eurythmics because my parents were big fans. I'm very familiar with their work - I never knew Sweet Dreams was recorded with only 7 tracks..dang, they used what they had well. They have tons of timeless tunes. Reminded me I'm overdue for a listen.

Don't miss this one, Bob.....

Love Is A Stranger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6f593X6rv8

Nice one Eddie. I hadn't heard that one before.

It's now been added to my newly created Eurythmics folder on youtube.

Thanks for reminding me of an old band I liked but hadn't heard in years.

heh,
My favorite Dave Stewart work was back with Bruford, but everyone is different.
I mean, I like the Eurythmics, but it's a little commercial, knowing his history.
Let's start here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nYNC2Xulo

If that's too boring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yv7i0YYIr0

Or how about this one, we're going to send you out on a live recorded show to start the whole show with this 19/8 song (and you start it solo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzY5CqNQh3U
.. well to be fair it does have sections that settle down to 7/4 <grin>
If you've already done stuff like this, Eurythmics is easy!

I first saw Dave play live in very early 80's .. he has played with a lot of really great people.
He's one I hold high in the list of those I've actually seen play.
Like I said, we're all different.

I was a huge fan of techno so I loved Eurythmics. Howard Jones, Talking Heads, Thompson Twins, Larry Gowan WAY back before he joined Styx (My band at the time opened for him and his band called Gowan once in Canada)... loved that stuff. The sequencer programming drew me to that style.

I did the whole techno 'sequence the show' thing for a while, and it was taxing to pull off, while actually performing was more fun.
We had sequencers (MIDI) running keyboards, gtr patch changes, FX, lights, et al
I did a couple years doing techno stuff in Chicago early on (like Ministry era)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdB6e91stm0
I don't miss it
But that's just me

/though you reminded me how much I liked *listening* to techno back then <grin>
Home recording back in the day; he pulled this off really low budget and made a lot of money
here's more from Ministry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxKEy8ReeNw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aab9Th7f2Ko


I was *really* into MIDI possibilities at the time
MC Hammers whole show (and original recording) was run from a pair of Roland W-30 keyboards from what I've been told, that amazed me, and after listening closer I believe it
Ministry was more Korg based, but still programmed
I stopped chasing show systems soon after, so not sure what Eurythmics used, but it would be fun to know
It was a time when music was changing .. I hope we see that again soon
Guess what I'm saying is if you can make most of the mix come out in stereo (keys, bass, drums), having 5 more tracks for guitar/vocals makes it a lot easier

Annie Lennox - Walking on Broken Glass (Official Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25stK5ymlA

Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Missionary Man (Official Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Q3cp3cp88

You could probably bring Roxette into that conversation. Their material wasn't as "boxy" as most techno but they did a lot with drum machines and sequenced synthesizers. And Marie Fredriksson was an amazing singer. Very sad when she died last year but she was very sick with cancer and suffered for many years.

Listening to Must Have Been Love right now after her name popped into my head.

+++ Would I Lie To You +++

I saw them at Reading University in the UK when they were the Tourists. I would have been 18 or 19. I'm pretty sure it was this song that got me interested.:-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsTIuNikq4w

Wait, Talking Heads are considered techno??
Please explain
Stop Making Sense <grin>

Because of Bernie Worrell's style of synth work and the electronic drums they used a lot I thought they were techno enough to be called techno. Girlfriend Is Better was quite techno. Of course the offshoot band TomTom Club was far more techno. As long as Tina Weymouth was there I was interested!

Tina was the shizzle

There's a band around now that is very much an acquired taste. It's a girl named Annie Clark who performs as St. Vincent and it is the weirdest thing I have ever seen. And I saw The Tubes, Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop! She plays a Gibson signature guitar that looks oddly like a non reverse Firebird but not quite. A Japanese girl plays bass and bass synth, as well as sings. 2 guys in the band wear these body suits with mesh masks over their faces. The whole concept of the band seems to be trying to project an image of being totally androgynous, and the stage presentation is very robotic and calculated. The music is heavily programmed and synth driven. I find them oddly entertaining for the techno aspect of it, and Annie doesn't write awful songs, though she is no Lennon/McCartney.

Here's an hour of them from Austin City Limits.

https://youtu.be/11TGzIxRIHM

If techno ever appealed to you, you might get a smile or two out of them.

I loved "Here Comes The Rain Again" except for:

the turnaround at the end of each chorus to get back to the verses. I HATE those last two chords. The song has a great vibe, mostly minor feel, excellent arpeggiated prickly synths going in the left channel, and those two happy misplaced chords, with the strings just emphasizing their wrong-ness. AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!


For those that dig this type of vibe, there's a whole throwback genre that has been sort of underground for 10-15 years or so called synthwave.

The most 'pop' of synthwave has caught on to some extent in the mainstream and goes by synthpop. For listening, perhaps start with Future Islands, Tycho, and Helado Negro (quite a bit of Helado Negro is in Spanish). Of these three, Tycho is my favorite - always has some very tasteful and simple electric guitar decorations in his stuff. He has even done some odd time signature stuff in one of his recent albums. My favorite Tycho song, is probably "Slack" from his album Epoch. There are some really lovely guitars in this one along with all of the blissful synths and a great drum track - can't tell if it's live or programmed, which is one of the reasons I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbG6PPtVEDw

here's a 24 minute long live show that KEXP recorded - with a really nice mix for a live show. You'll see the live drummer playing what sounds like programmed drums to some extent but they aren't. There's a sort of Piet Mondrian beauty to that in my opinion.

Also, entire labels are dedicated to keeping sequenced digital and analog synth focused music going. A sometimes collaborator of mine has really gone crazy with modular synths lately. He goes by State Azure for his commercial side. I think you guys would really go for his stuff. The label he was on, Loodma Recordings, has boatloads of modern synth music.

https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/pictures-from-a-distant-time